


Druk

by rainbowtourmaline



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Arguing, Babies, Baby dragons - Freeform, Dad Zuko, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Humor, Jealous Jet, Jealousy, Mild suggestive humor, Mom Katara, Post War, Rivalry, Wise Aang, light angst and humor, love rivalry, mentions of past abusive family, naming babies, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 17:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7766626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowtourmaline/pseuds/rainbowtourmaline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Druk's birth reminds the gaang that nothing ever stays the same, even after the war. </p><p>“Dragons used to eat non-firebenders and traitors before The Fire Lord decided he enjoyed hunting them for sport! Doesn’t that bother you?!” Jet cried.</p><p>“I’m not interested in the boring history lesson gramps, but thanks for the snooze fest.” </p><p>Zutara Week 2016 - Dragons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Druk

“You’ve been watching that egg for days! Come sit and eat with us!”

“No.”

“Zuko.” Katara warned him.

“The Fire Sages said this little dragon could be born any minute and I’m not going to abandon it within its first minutes of life!”

“Your dad didn’t have a problem doing that.” Jet, who had somehow miraculously survived the siege of Ba Sing Se and was now staying with the gaang until he properly recovered from the incident, had stuck his head through the door and stared at Zuko and Katara while he nonchalantly chewed on his dinner. Zuko stubbornly ignored him and focused on his unborn dragon child, who took priority over petty disagreements at this point in time.

Katara was not pleased. 

“JET, SHUT UP AND EAT YOUR DINNER AND LEAVE ZUKO ALONE!” Jet chuckled as Katara threw her shoe at him and retreated back into the dining room where everyone else was enjoying their meal. Katara panted with rage, her chest heaving up and down. The sight was enough to momentarily distract Zuko from his ‘offspring.’ “Zuko, please have dinner with us? I promise that if your dragon baby hatches you can leave the dinner table with no hard feelings!”

“I don’t know…” Zuko hesitated, glancing at the golden egg perched on its red cushion. The little thing looked so fragile and delicate…

“How can you look after a dragon baby, if you don’t take care of yourself first? Hmm? You know Uncle Iroh wouldn’t approve.” Katara smiled when knew she had hit a nerve as Zuko started biting his bottom lip. “I know you’re hungry.”

“Pfft, more like _thirsty._ ” A sly voice from the dining room made Zuko blush from the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck.

“JET PLEASE! I’M NOT WARNING YOU AGAIN!” Sokka could be heard hollering in the background, while the sound of Suki’s fans being sheathed pierced the air.

 Katara ignored them and kept looking at Zuko.

“Well…” Zuko hesitated. “I guess it’s not good to care for an infant on an empty stomach.”  

“That’s the spirit! Let’s go enjoy dinner while – THE EGG IS HATCHING?” Katara screamed while she watched cracks appear in the egg’s surface and a small and scaly red head started popping out from the top. The little dragon looked gross, slimy and made an unpleasant screeching noise but nonetheless Katara grabbed the nearest piece of clean cloth she could find while the creature was being born into this world at a speedy pace she did not care for.

Meanwhile Zuko looked like he could have cared less about the creature’s slimy exterior as it finally broke free of its egg prison.

“You’re alive! And you’re here! You’re finally here!” Zuko cried, smiling like he had won his honour back all over again. He couldn’t care less if the other boys teased him about the tears running down his face or his father-like pride in his new-born dragon cracking out of its shell. “Your dad is no longer the last dragon alive, little guy.”

“Here, wrap him up in this.” Katara handled the yellow cloth. “It’ll keep him from getting his slime everywhere.”

Zuko’s hands shook as he took it from Katara’s hands, but she slowly guided him while he tried to hold the new-born bundle in his arms.

“Be sure to support his head… That’s it… You’re doing great Zuko.” Katara said.

“You think so?”

“Yeah. Uncle Iroh would be proud.” Zuko and Katara’s eyes met when she gave him the compliment. Not liking how hard their hearts were beating in unison, they looked away and pretended not to notice each other blushing.

However, this did not stop either of them from smiling.

“Why are they acting like a couple of arctic-hens around baby chicks? They do realise that is a man-eating dragon they’re holding, right?” Zuko and Katara also ignored Jet as he looked at the new-born with open disgust. Other members of the gaang, who had rushed from the dining room to see what the commotion was about, either rolled their eyes at him or gave him a swift kick in the legs.

“Actually Jet, Dragons are quite approachable.” Aang said, hoping that friendly fact would prevent Jet from getting into yet another fight with Toph, who was the one who had dealt the painful blow to Jet’s calves. “They’re only hostile if you attack them first or come to their territory uninvited.”

“… What happened while I was in that coma?” was all Jet could say.

“A lot Jet, a lot. We’ll tell you over some tea.”

* * *

 

“So Zuko, what are you gonna name the little fella?” Sokka asked as he took a sip of his hot leaf juice. Mmm, jasmine.

“Druk.” Zuko said softly, as he cradled the little bundle in his rocking chair. The Fire Lord could not take his eyes off the little critter, so much so that he failed to see Katara watching him with an equally tender gaze.

“Druk?” Jet scoffed. “You want to call him thunder dragon? After your psycho sister?”

“Jet I swear to Yue that if you keep teasing Zuko about his family history I will personally kick your butt the way I kicked Azula’s.” Aang winced as he saw the cracks in the handle of Iroh’s favourite teapot worsen under Katara’s strong grip. “How’s that?”

“Ooooooooh, Jet messed with Katara’s baby daddy!” Toph hooted.

“I’m just saying,” Jet blushed. “There’s tons of better names. Pyro, for example.”

“Pyro? As in Pyromaniac?” Sokka scoffed. “Real positive start for the kid, Jet. I know, let’s name him Adzuki!”

“As in the red bean? Sokka, this is not the time to be thinking with your stomach.” Suki tutted and looked thoughtfully out the window. “How about we name him Hua, after Hua Mulan? It would be such a good legacy to build upon!”

“Naming a male dragon after a woman? What is this, the spirit world?” Jet cried before Suki started glaring daggers at him. He was tempted to climb out the window Suki had been looking at, even though she was blocking his path. This was the moment Toph slammed her fist onto the tea-table and made her declaration.

“ALL THOSE NAMES SUCK! I DECLARE THE LITTLE DRAGON TO BE NAMED LITTLE DRAGON!” she pumped her fist into the air and stood on the tea-table with her dirty feet, much to Katara’s horror. “HIS ENEMIES WILL UNDERESTIMATE HIM AND WILL FALL LIKE DEAD FLIES!”

“That sounds good.” Aang said before Katara could tell Toph off. “But what about Tenzin?”

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose as Sokka, Suki and Jet had a fight about sexism and food and whatever else came to mind, while Aang and Toph somehow ended up screaming at each other at the top of their lungs about something regarding ‘tradition’ or whatever, and Katara was yelling at Toph to get off the damn tea-table already and wash her feet!

He sighed. The Fire Lord had finally had enough when his baby dragon started whimpering and crying with all the noise.  

“STOP!” everybody looked like a couple of lemurs about to be run over by a one of Ba Sing Se’s many train lines. “Druk. His name is going to be Druk.”

“But-” Aang began.

“No buts! I know that name means ‘thunder dragon,’ but I don’t care if he reminds me of my sister.” Zuko looked at baby Druk and started to rock him, slowly soothing the poor thing back to sleep. He gently patted him on the head as he drifted off. “Maybe if Druk is loved enough and supported in the right way, he won’t end up becoming a bad guy…”

The entire group stared at him silently.

“Oh Zuko…” Katara said, forgetting all about Toph’s dirty feet.  

“It’s fine…” Zuko said, even though he was frowning and looking out the window like he was longing for something. “Druk will be a happy, new member of _our_ family.”

Katara smiled and patted his arm.

“You’re right.” Katara said. “I think Druk is a great name.”  

  “DRUK HAS WON THE POLLS FOLKS, THANKS TO THE LITTLE GUY’S MOMMA AND PAPA!”

“Toph, I swear if you don’t get your dirty feet off that table!”

* * *

 

A couple of sleepless nights later, Katara managed to convince the new father to go take a nap.

Her only problem was that her new little friend was interested in anything but sleeping.

“Go take a nap.” she begged the tiny creature as it followed her out of Zuko’s room. “Go, shoo! Go back to daddy Druk! Go back to daddy!”

“Is that what you’re calling Zuko now?” Toph saucily wiggled her eyebrows.  

“Toph, I will make you sleep outside.”

“Fine by me, I love the dirt! Just like Druk loves you!” she laughed and pointed at the little creature, who was looking up at Katara with his adorable, beady eyes. Druk was giving Katara the same, adoring smile he often only gave to Zuko. Katara sighed and resigned herself to her fate of being Druk’s second favourite human.

“Fine, you can come.” she put her arm out to where the little dragon could reach and let him climb on her shoulder. “Just don’t decide to learn firebending while I’m doing the dishes, okay?”

Little Druk affectionately nuzzled her face in response.

“Jet close your mouth, you’ll catch flies.” Toph said as she watched Katara and Druk leave the living room, the waterbender giggling at Druk’s display of affection.

“Are you seeing what I am seeing? Dragons and waterbenders. Being friends.” Jet didn’t remove his eyes from the kitchen door even after the odd pair had left.

“So?” Toph scoffed.

“Dragons used to _eat_ non-firebenders and traitors before The Fire Lord decided he enjoyed hunting them for sport! Doesn’t that bother you?!” Jet cried.

“I’m not interested in the boring history lesson gramps, but thanks for the snooze fest.” Toph rolled her eyes. “I’m gonna go outside and feed Appa.”

Jet sat there in shock as Toph sauntered out the room.

After a minute or so Jet threw his cup and watched its pieces’ shatter onto the floor, before he left the house too.

* * *

 

Aang had been climbing various trees for nearly half an hour before he found him.

“There you are!” Aang happily made his way past the branches to take a seat next to Jet on a particularly sturdy arm of the tree. There was more than enough room for him beside the grumpy ex freedom fighter. “I was wondering where you were! Don’t worry, Katara and Zuko aren’t mad about the cup. She’s a little worried about you though and I think Toph feels bad about what she said earlier.”

“As if I care what that little brat says.” Jet grumbled under his breath and looked out at the sun. “And I’m not sorry for breaking the cup.”

“Okay… Then why are you sitting out here brooding?” Aang asked.   

“I’m thinking…” Jet said, not tearing his gaze away from the sunrise.

“About what?” Jet rolled his eyes and glared at Aang.

“Things.” he grunted, hoping Aang would get the message.  

“You know, sometimes talking about our worries with a friend really helps clear the clutter in your mind.” Aang said. “It also stops friends from making mistakes or doing something really rash in the heat of the moment, like trying to drown a village or hunt down a firebender.”

“I’M NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING EXTREME!” Jet roared and glared at Aang. “I’ve grown up!” 

“Who said I was talking about you?” Aang chortled as if the other man was simply being self-centred. He casually took out an apple and started peeling it with a hunting knife Zuko had given him. He never used it for hunting actual animals, but it came in handy during lunch time and when he needed to divide up his fruit among his comrades. “I have friends other than you Jet.”

Jet sighed, “You’re impossible. You’re all impossible! Living together like a bunch of happy forest animals, it’s not natural… How can the last airbender, the last southern waterbender and the Fire Lord sit down to tea like the last hundred years never happened? It’s sickening…”

“Why?” Aang asked. “Before the war, the four elements lived in harmony and peace for _centuries_. If anything, fighting among ourselves over petty differences is weird.”

“You just don’t understand.” Jet muttered as the shadows under his eyes became darker. Aang frowned, not liking how the spark in Jet’s eyes seemed to be simmering out.

He put down his knife and his apple and scooted closer to Jet.

“Jet, I am the _last_ airbender. When I woke up after a hundred-year sleep and found out my entire tribe had been wiped out, I almost lost my mind with rage. What do you think I will not understand?”

 Jet gave a tired and sad sigh as he looked Aang right in the eyes.

_“I don’t know.”_

At those words Aang didn’t hesitate to give pull Jet into his arms and Jet did not protest against the embrace. He also didn’t say anything about how _big_ Aang had gotten as the eighteen-year-old cradled him like a baby or make a comment about Aang’s itchy stubble. He just clung onto Aang like he was the only certain thing in an ever-changing world. 

“You were asleep for quite a while.” Aang said. “It’s okay to be scared.”

“I’m not!” Jet snapped, but didn’t let go. “It’s just… It’s hard to believe it’s all over. That we live in a world where Firebenders aren’t riding around in tanks acting like they own the place, that the Fire Lord and the Avatar can sit down to tea like it’s no big deal, that Katara can fall for that little...”

Jet stopped when he realised what he was saying. Aang rubbed smooth, circular motions onto his back and ignored the dark, red colour in Jet’s cheeks.  

“You’re scared because this world has changed so much since you fell asleep and you’re not sure how to deal with it. I was stuck in that iceberg for thousands of years and there were times I didn’t think I would ever get used to this new time.” Aang let go of Jet so he could grip his shoulders and smile at him. “But I was lucky to have friends to help me! I listened to their advice, supported them as they supported me and as a result we changed the world for the better!”

 Jet sighed again.

“So basically what you’re saying is, adapt or die? Right?”

“Well I don’t know about the ‘die’ part, but yeah.” Aang said. “If you’re gonna adapt you gotta accept the things you can’t change and do the best you can to change the things that can be fixed!”

Jet groaned.

He had a hell of a lot of adapting and fixing to do.

* * *

 

“Look who I found in his natural habitat! The top of a tree!”

“I so regret showing you my hideout.” After Jet was thoroughly scolded by Katara for ‘worrying’ her and forced to endure the teasing and a reluctant truce from a powerful earthbender, Jet spotted Zuko in the corner doting on Druk. It was so ridiculously cute and for a painful minute, Jet could understand why Katara found the sight so endearing.

Jet remembered the new mantra Aang taught him and was more determined than before.

“I’M NOT GONNA LOSE TO YOU AND YOUR PET DRAGON!” Jet announced so loudly that Druk scurried under Zuko’s shirt.

“Um?! Okay?!” Zuko had his hands raised and looked at Jet like he was insane. “What are we fighting for?”

“Oh don’t pretend you don’t know.” Jet made a gesture that said ‘I’m keeping my eyes on you.’ “I’m not gonna let Katara fall for the ‘I’m so sweet and paternal!’ act. Your days are numbered Fire Lord.”

Zuko sat there silently as he watched Jet storm off to his room, ears literally steaming with steam in embarrassment.

“WHAT?!” he screamed when the full implication of what Jet said hit him. He could hardly look at Jet or Katara for days without turning as red as Druk. “Agni help your papa, Druk.”

 


End file.
